Chapter 461 - 445: There Must Be a Great Treasure Here
The alien’s corpse toppled into the interwoven shades of pale yellow and crimson, adding another few splashes of blood to the reed marsh.
Shi Ming held the Blade of Chaos.
His Spiritual Power swept across the reed marsh, sensing more of the same creatures lurking in the shadows of the blood-colored plants.
’So this is one of the aliens?’
’What a shame.’
’There’s no energy in their blood, so I can’t absorb it. They have no destiny of their own, so I can’t usurp anything with the Ten Thousand Forms Sanctuary. These aliens might not even count as living creatures.’
’Or perhaps they’re a completely different form of existence?’
After killing several aliens, he’d gained no stat points. Even the evil touch from the Abyss Lord’s Extremely Evil Sanctuary hadn’t increased.
He had gained absolutely nothing.
This displeased Shi Ming greatly.
In the Endless Ocean, even a D-rank sea beast possessed its own source of skills. Bathing in its blood could increase his basic attributes by at least two points. Yet these bizarre and varied aliens, with strength equivalent to S-rank, offered nothing. Their blood was a little hot, but otherwise brought him no benefit whatsoever.
Shi Ming’s Right Arm Red Pattern faintly repelled them.
’No, it’s not repulsion.’
’It’s disgust.’
’It doesn’t matter that there’s no reward. The Eye of Destiny said the more I slaughter, the better my chance of being noticed by the crown. As long as I can claim that crown for a single day, my mission in this Star Cave will be complete. I need to hurry up and kill, kill, kill. Clear this Star Cave and move on to the next target.’
The pale yellow reeds, reflecting the crimson moon, reminded Shi Ming of a certain Souls-like game he’d played in his past life. And these aliens, just like some humanoid race from that game, made him just want to go to town on them with his blade.
He stood upon Cai Zong’s back.
He let the Rainbow Centaur carry him as it galloped through the reeds, periodically charging into groups of brawling aliens to enjoy the simple pleasure of mowing them down.
Combat!
So satisfying!
The thrill of a puzzle mission comes from the moment you find the solution—that sense of revelation, like the clouds parting to reveal the sun!
But the thrill of a hack-and-slash game lies in the feeling of absolute control you get from releasing stress, carving through an army, and being utterly invincible!
After half a day of this, the crimson blood of aliens had soaked Shi Ming’s clothes through and through.
"10,031!"
He planted the Blade of Chaos in the ground.
The magnificent Blood Moon seemed even more vibrant.
’Still not enough.’
’These aliens are clearly more hostile toward beings from the outside world. Instead of hunting them down without a clue, I’d be better off setting up a base and letting the enemy come to me. All I have to do is stay here, and the surrounding aliens will come at me wave after wave.’
Shi Ming flicked an alien corpse into the air.
The vanquished foes piled behind him had already formed a small hill. Other Shore Flowers, swaying in the wind, bloomed upon the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, creating a peculiar beauty that seemed to perfectly match this world.
"Cai Zong, let’s split up the work."
"You go lure more enemies."
The command was transmitted to Cai Zong through Spiritual Power. The rainbow-hued centaur left Shi Ming’s side to start luring more opponents. The aliens’ strength varied. Most were S-rank or below, a small number could barely reach the Holy Hall level, but Shi Ming had yet to encounter any that could compare to the Nirvana rank.
The Eye of Destiny had said the danger level here was three stars.
That meant there had to be a guardian here, an enemy more worthy of a true fight.
...
...
...
CLICK.
A "ripple" spread through the Star Sea.
The old man, seated leisurely on a lone boat, opened his eyes. The line on the fishing rod he held, its hook submerged in the Star Sea, gave a slight tremble, then began to shake violently.
The unremarkable bamboo rod instantly went taut.
’A big one?’
The old man’s wrist dipped, and a low grunt rumbled in his throat.
His withered, veiny hand tightened, exuding a steady and undeniable control. He lifted the trembling rod, and a bright silver fish was actually pulled up out of the void!
’How can there be fish in the Star Sea?’
The old man’s eyes were hawklike as he toyed with the point where the hook met the fish’s mouth. In the eyes of this angler, all things were fish. His hook reeled in information from the Star Sea; he was fishing for a grand destiny.
In an instant, he had pinpointed a set of coordinates.
2112, 3291, 2123.
’There must be a great treasure there!’
’It will take about five days to get there!’
The angler’s lone boat changed course, sailing toward the coordinates, which were neither terribly far nor especially close.
Five days was nothing.
He had already sailed in solitude for a millennium and explored many other Star Caves. A mere five days was but a fleeting moment.
The powerful must act the part!
To remain composed and unhurried, even in the face of immense treasure—that is the mark of a true expert.
...
...
...
Beneath Shi Ming’s feet, the alien corpses had piled into a mountain. He stood on its peak, gazing at the blood-red celestial body that seemed almost within reach, a smile touching his blood-splattered face.
The color of the bloody orb had deepened considerably.
’I’ll call it the "Blood Moon" for now.’
Although this "Blood Moon" overhead seemed close, it was unreachable. The more aliens Shi Ming killed, the deeper crimson it became. By now, the color was so rich it looked as if it might start to drip.
’Don’t tell me... this is the so-called Crown of Slaughter?’
Shi Ming let his imagination run wild.
He had already killed some aliens whose power had reached the Holy Hall level. Just like the "weeds" he’d mown down before, their blood contained no energy and brought him no increase in strength.
It was, however, incredibly satisfying.
Nearby, Cai Zong swished its tail uneasily.
Shi Ming glanced at it.
"You sense it too?"
He looked into the distance as a savage wind swept through the reeds.
’A powerful enemy is here.’
"Excellent!"
He leaped from the mountain of corpses, and in midair, a ten-meter-long great pillar suddenly materialized between his hands. It looked less like a weapon and more like a column so thick you could barely wrap your arms around it.
A supreme treasure!
The Stone Pillar of Profanity and Transgression!
BOOM!
The supreme treasure fell, and an area of reed-like plants seven or eight thousand meters wide was instantly pulverized. The Stone Pillar of Profanity and Transgression could manifest some of the majesty and pressure of a god at the moment of creation. For any creature below the Nirvana rank, mere contact with it meant the end of its life.
The bloody mist dissipated.
A sharp-featured alien stood in the center of the bloody devastation. In an instant, it was right in front of Shi Ming, its arms as sharp as blades!
On its forehead was a half-crown seemingly condensed from moonlight.
[Borer]!
Shi Ming blinked.
The alien, now right before his eyes, twitched a few times and began to writhe in unbearable agony. The ten-meter-long pillar rose once more, sending this lone survivor to the other side of the world to join its companions.
"That should be enough, right?"
Shi Ming looked up at the Blood Moon.
The moon’s color intensified.
The crimson aura of slaughter began to flow, coalescing and sinking downward. In the void, it formed a perfect, blood-red crown that slowly materialized before Shi Ming.
Shi Ming did not put it on.
He remembered the intelligence from the Eye of Destiny.
"The Crown of Slaughter, steeped in the remains of countless aliens, has long since become an ’evil object’."
This thing...
...was truly sinister!